A Virtual Trip to the Zoo
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This post was originally published in 2020, when Covid-19 left parents frazzled, the kids had cabin fever, and everyone was in need of a break from the monotony. Covid restrictions might not be impacting our lives in quite the same way, but grandparents are still searching for fun things to send grandchildren. If you are looking for a great care package idea for your grandkids, read on!
One of the ways I tried to make things a little easier for my family during the summer of 2020 was with “virtual field trips”. The trip to the art museum and the virtual summer vacation were both a big hit, so I sent them on a virtual trip to the zoo.
Once again, I looked for items that would do more than provide a few moments of fun and then add to the clutter. Here’s what I included:
They both got Zookeeper shirts, which quickly became a favorite piece of clothing. I got these, but there are other fun styles available. They still love having matching clothes!
This Paint by Sticker Zoo Animals book was a little advanced for my 2 and 4 year-old grands, so it needed adult help. Though they’ve got excellent fine motor skills, the stickers were too small to place very precisely, and neither of them can recognize double-digit numbers reliably. Still, they both loved watching the picture emerge as a parent helped them. After completing the image of the giraffe, my grandson used it as an inspiration piece to draw his own giraffe.
Because books are never considered clutter by my librarian daughter-in-law, I got three fun ones. The View at the Zoo is a delightful tale with a fun twist. Both kids loved searching for the monkey throughout the book. Search the Zoo, Find the Animals is more than a search and find book—it’s filled with animal facts geared towards young children. For older kids, I’d recommend Zoology for Kids, which is filled with information and hands on activities. I also sent Eric Carle’s 1,2,3 to the Zoo. Click on any image to order on Amazon.
And of course, what is a trip to the zoo without animals? The set of animals I got them is no longer available, but this one is a close substitute. It also comes with a play mat printed to look like a zoo. The animals are well sized for small hands. Everything fits neatly in the included carrying case. They played with the animals for hours.
I also found a couple of fun activities on the Pre-K Pages website that can be printed and sent. This “Matching Eyes” activity is a great early-learning game, and the “Roll and Move” game will have everyone monkeying around in no time! You’ll want a set of rolling cubes with pockets for the “Roll and Move” game: you can find one here.
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